Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Emerson: I don’t know how I’m lucky enough to have you, but I damn sure don’t plan to lose you now.
I smiled. He made me feel like the luckiest man alive.
Me: I love you too. Now I gotta go. Brad Pitt is on screen. He’s so fucking hot in this movie. Have you ever thought of growing your hair out?
Emerson: I’d do almost anything for you, but that might be taking it a step too far. Also, isn’t that closer to my time than yours?
Me: I guess I’ve always loved old things. I added a smile emoji.
Emerson: Brat.
Me: You love it.
I put my phone away and enjoyed my time with Molly. We went from Legends of the Fall to A River Runs Through It and finally to Thelma and Louise. I would miss our movie nights.
It was after midnight when the last movie was over and my phone rang. My stomach immediately dropped to my feet, dread swimming in my veins. “Hello?” Molly reached over and put a comforting hand on my thigh.
“Sammy Joe? It’s Officer Wilson. Listen, son. It’s your mama…”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Emerson
It had been strange sleeping without Sam last night.
I’d missed him in my bed, the way his body clung to mine, like he was an extension of me or maybe I was an extension of him. None of it made sense, the way Sam had changed me, how he’d made me feel worthy of things I used to tell myself I didn’t want, but he did, and I would forever be grateful for that.
While I’d known he wasn’t coming home last night, I’d thought he would call or text again before bed or at least this morning, but so far, he hadn’t. I kept myself busy organizing the house to leave, and working out a date and time for the animals to get transferred to Lydia’s farm. It had been an awkward conversation when I’d called to ask her about taking them, but for whatever reason, Lydia had trusted me and was willing to help. She said she’d seen the good in me. She was the kind of woman who cared about others and took people in, and I appreciated that she saw something special in me too.
I’d just finished taping up a box when I heard a car out front. I frowned, knowing it wouldn’t be Sam unless he’d decided to stop by or deliver my mail to me directly instead of leaving it in the mailbox. My lips automatically spread into a grin as I went for the door. “Miss me that—” I stopped when I saw Molly getting out of her car.
My spine stiffened, thoughts spinning too fast to control them. “What happened? Where is he? Is Sam okay?” Did he change his mind? Does he not want me?
I rushed down the stairs toward Molly.
“He’s okay. It’s his mama…she was drinking. She had a whole lot, and she was smart enough not to drive, but she was walking on a dark road and…”
No…no, no, no, no. “Is she alive?”
“Yeah. They transported her to the hospital in Charlotte. Sammy’s there with her. I figured he didn’t call you, but I know him and he needs you.”
“Jesus.” I ran my hands through my hair, my heart making my head pound. I wanted to go to him so fucking bad, I ached with it, but he didn’t call. What if he didn’t want me? His family would be there. How would he explain my presence? “Does he know you’re here?”
I knew her answer was no before Molly shook her head.
I didn’t want him to have the stress of what me being there would do, but…Sam. How could I not be there if he needed me? He was always there when I needed him. I couldn’t leave him alone in this.
“I have to grab my things. I’m going.” I headed toward the house, then realized Molly was following me. “I won’t out him. I’ll… I don’t know what I’ll do. Call him from outside before I go in, make up some lie.” Because to his family, the guy who had killed his boyfriend would be there for Sam. There was no excuse for that. “I can’t leave him.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, and I guess that means we should go together. To Aunt Sherry and Uncle Bob, you’ll be a friend of mine.”
Christ, she really was great. I didn’t have it in me to argue. All that mattered was Sam…getting to Sam.
I grabbed my keys and my phone. Molly went to my car with me and jumped in. She put the address into my phone’s GPS. My fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, heart in my throat. “This is going to kill him…he’s going to blame himself. That he didn’t do enough, that he wasn’t around…”
“Wow. You really do know him.”